Where's Kyle?

Shira opened her eyes. The light stabbed her eyes and made her head throb.

Where's Anne?

Where is everybody?

The light dimmed to shade and Shira saw some soldier she did not recognize sleeping next to her. She shifted and winced as her arm sent bolts of pain.

"Shira." Anne's voice.

Anne put a hand on Shira's good shoulder and knelt down by the side of the bedroll she slept on.

"Anne... are you all right? Where's Kyle?" Shira felt as if her tongue was thick in her mouth, slurring her words.

"Kyle's great." Anne smiled and let out a breath, almost laughing. "Do you remember what happened?"

"In the battle?" Shira's words were thinning only slowly. "I remember the battle. Someone got me with a sword..."

"Do you remember what happened after?"

"It was like I was in a trance. It was... strange... Kyle was shot, I think-"

"Shira..." Anne leaned right next to Shira's face and whispered. "That was the strangest thing I've ever seen. I don't know whether to be scared at what happened there, or whether to call Devon over to get a mage to explain just how you were glowing and how Kyle is perfectly all right after being shot in the back."

"What do you mean?"

"Shira, when you started that glowing, the light went everywhere- over Kyle, over me. And the blood was still on Kyle's shirt but Kyle was fine, and Shira, my ankle isn't even broken anymore."

Shira sank into the bedroll. "I did that?" Her voice was weak.

"Shira!!" Kyle yelled happily.

Anne shushed him. "Kyle, people are sleeping!" But from her voice, it was obvious that she was smiling.

Kyle almost ran to Anne's side and then threw himself down next to her. Shira looked at him and he grinned. Shira smiled, and Kyle leaned over and kissed her, quickly. Then he laughed. "She's gonna be all right now, right Anne?"

"We'll have to see," Anne replied. But she smiled.

Kyle tilted his head and put his crescent-moon smiling eyes next to Shira's. "Shira... crazy... Shira, do you know that you saved my life?"

Shira could not say anything.

"I will never be able to thank you enough for that. Shira... I was shot... and now I'm here!" Kyle laughed. Anne did not bother to shush him. "I didn't see it but Anne told me everything. And they kicked you out of the School of Mages? And you have that power?" Kyle shook his head. "Ah, Shira, I don't care, I'm so glad you're here. You know... ah. Shira."

"I didn't know I had that power-"

"I don't care about power now," Kyle interrupted. "Shira, you and I, we'll sneak out, all right? We'll sneak away from camp, desert, and find some other place to live. We'll take Anne and whoever else wants to come. Good?" Kyle laughed.

Shira smiled. "What if they catch us?"

"I don't care. Shira, I don't care if I get shot tomorrow, I don't know- I'll keep fighting like always. And you'll keep being a medic. But you and Anne and everyone'll be here so it'll all be good, alright?"

"Kyle, you've gone crazy!" Shira laughed.

"I have, I'm crazy!" Kyle nearly yelled and Anne shushed him. He smiled and continued, more quietly. "When I heard you were knocked out... hurt... and found out what you did... I don't care if you did it on purpose or whether it just happened or what, when I found that out... I can't explain it. I don't care what happens to me tomorrow... I could go to Hell and I won't care... but... Ah, Shira." Kyle kissed her again. "Maybe I won't feel like this tomorrow, but... This is how you feel, right Anne? You figured this feeling out a long time ago, didn't you?"

Anne smiled. "Shira's going to pass out if you wear her out like this, Kyle."

"I'll go, I'll go." Kyle kissed Anne quickly, and then Shira one more time. "I'll come back later." He strode away excitedly.

Shira took a breath. "I didn't know quite what I was doing when I..."

"I thought maybe you didn't." Anne smiled. "I explained to Kyle. But that's not what he cares about most. Or what I care about most."

"No... no mage would ever do what I did... in the battle. No mage could ever do it that way."

"It doesn't matter."

"I'm not a mage... I'll never be a mage... is that what you mean?"

"In a way."

"Did we win the battle?"

"No, we're in retreat. We're back in our own territory now, to meet up with another branch of our own army. Your arm is hurting, right?"

"Yes."

"Here, drink this." Anne held up to Shira's lips a mug full of thick, bitter white liquid. Shira steadied it with her good hand and swallowed.

"Two minutes, and you'll be sleeping like a little kid." Anne smiled. "I can't explain it, but I feel like Kyle. If tomorrow doesn't turn out like today, well..." Anne shrugged. "Shira, you're not in the School anymore."

Shira's head felt heavy. She laughed.

"I know."